Fire Island National Seashore
Suffolk County, Long Island
Fire Island is the longest barrier Island guarding the south shore of Long Island, and a 26-mile long portion of the island is protected as Fire Island National Seashore. Each year, thousands of people come to enjoy the island's white sand beaches and seaside communities, as well as the rich variety of coastal wildlife amid the surf and windswept dunes. Watch dolphins and-if you are lucky-whales and porpoises frolicking off shore, while shorebirds and other wildlife can be glimpsed on the beach and inland.
Wildlife to Watch
- Dolphins, pilot whales and harbor seals (a winter visitor)
- Sandpipers, four species of gulls and the piping plover
- Jellyfish and shellfish: whelks, clams and blue crabs
- Gray catbirds and rufous-sided towhees
- Red foxes, white-tailed deer and cottontail rabbits
- Fowler's toads
- Monarch butterflies (fall migration)
Where to Watch
- Offshore
- Beach
- Salt marshes, and ancient maritime forests
- Tidal pools
Recreational Opportunities
- Swimming
- Camping
- Fire Island Lighthouse
- Visitor center with exhibits and interpretive programs (Smith Point)
- Self-guided, boardwalk nature-trail
Accessible Features
This site has accessible features that include historical sites, trails and a beach. A full list of DEC's accessible recreation destinations is available on the DEC website.
Size
19,580 acres
Closest Town
Patchogue and Babylon
Directions
See Google Maps and enter your address for step by step directions to Fire Island National Seashore (This link will open a page outside of the DEC website. Hold Shift down while clicking on the link to open it in a new window)
Contact Information
Telephone: Park headquarters: 631-687-4750
Address: Park headquarters: 120 Laurel Street, Patchogue, NY 11772-3596
Website: Fire Island National Seashore (link leaves DEC website)
Return to the Watchable Wildlife main page
Photo Credits: P. Valentine, National Park Service